Martin Mayhew believes it's only a matter of time before Detroit Lions lose Brian Xanders

AP PhotoBrian Xanders interviewed for the Miami Dolphins general manager position on Tuesday.

DETROIT -- Detroit Lions senior personnel executive Brian Xanders interviewed for the Miami Dolphins general manager position on Tuesday. Whether he gets the job or not, Detroit Lions GM Martin Mayhew doesn't anticipate being able to retain Xanders for long.

"I would think that he will not be with us for a real long time," Mayhew said. "He's really good at what he does."

Should Xanders be hired by the Dolphins, Mayhew would be thrilled for his friend.

"I'd be honored to have worked for him," Mayhew said. "That would be awesome for him. He's from Florida, so to have an opportunity to get closer to home, I know he'd appreciate that."

Prior to coming to Detroit, Xanders served as the Denver Broncos general manager from 2009-12. In his one year with the Lions, Mayhew said Xanders has brought a lot to the staff.

"He's been outstanding. I think he's done a good job from a technical standpoint, from a data standpoint. He's a good evaluator. He's a very organized guy. He's very detailed. He's been a real asset for us."

Xanders' primary responsibility in Detroit was to build an internal scouting database to provide the team with better access to data about free agents, draft prospects and future opponents.

As a former general manager, Xanders also provided an additional voice in the team's personnel decisions.

"He helped with a lot of stuff in terms of the organization of our data," Mayhew said. "He's a good evaluator, too. He brought some stuff from Denver that was very helpful for us."